Environmental issues with coral reefs

Coral reefs are like underwater cities made up of hundreds of different kinds of living creatures. They provide food and shelter for many fish and other sea creatures, and help to protect our coasts from storms and flooding. Unfortunately, coral reefs are in trouble. Some of the environmental issues that are causing this trouble are pollution, global warming, overfishing and coral bleaching.

Pollution happens when people dump rubbish, chemicals or other harmful things into the ocean. These things can damage the coral reefs and kill the creatures that live there. Global warming causes the oceans to get warmer, which can make it harder for coral reefs to survive. Overfishing happens when people take too many fish out of the ocean. This can make it hard for the fish to reproduce, and can also cause problems for the reef. Finally, coral bleaching is when coral lose their color and eventually die because of stress or disease. All of these environmental issues cause coral reefs to get weaker and could eventually destroy them.